A Behavioral Model of Enlightenment

In an earlier article I made the case for Medievalism as a movement that continues to this day. I noted the continuity between the Middle Ages and the present on such dimensions as governance, penal practices, entertainment, witch hunts and the questioning of competent science. If these behaviors are intrinsically human and not specific to the Middle Ages they merit being identified independently. Here I present a simple behavioral model for distinguishing the Enlightenment behaviors from the Medieval behaviors they resisted, towards exposing a theoretical framework that explains phenomena observed in nature.

A Proposed Model

Assume a human actor with an ambition to prosper. Here are two simple, complementary strategies:

• Type A: Conquest. I will succeed at the expense of others.
• Type B: Humanist. I will succeed by making all of humankind successful.

Type B thinking is consistent with the Enlightenment notion of universal rules incorporating basic human rights. In contrast, Type A thinking is indifferent to the success of others, requiring only one rule: loyalty to the clan. Examples of Type A behaviors include torture, plundering the next village and Holy Wars. Examples of Type B behaviors include public education, observing the Ten Commandments, and Christ’s martyrdom.